Senior U.S. District Judge from Haigler

Senior U.S. District Judge Scott O. Wright of Kansas City, Missouri spent Tuesday, July 10 in the Haigler area. He is an alumnus of country school 67 South and was excited to know it is being saved and restored. He enjoyed having lunch at Jakes' Place with the Carlock brothers and talking with Lester Adams--who was in elementary school with him at 67 South.

Clipping from the Benkelman Post:

Senior U.S. District Judge Scott O. Wright of Kansas City, Missouri, visited the Haigler/Benkelman area on Tuesday, July 10. He was en route to Vail, Colorado, for meetings, but wanted to re-visit Dundy County. Senior Judge Wright is an alumnus of the one-room country school District 67 South and was thrilled to learn of the preservation and restoration project of this old schoolhouse. He gladly added his name to the list of donors for the project, and said: "I look forward to returning to Haigler after the school is moved and will watch its progress on the Haigler Blog."

Born in a stone house on a farm west of Haigler to Jesse and Irline (Slaughter) Wright, he has wonderful memories of growing up in this area. His elementary school classmates included Lester Adams, Ward Wonder, Stanley Long and Harriet Long. Senior Judge Wright served as a Marine Corps aviator and member of a Dive Bomber Squadron during World War II before obtaining a law degree from the University of Missouri-Columbia in 1950. His legal career alternated between private practice and stints as a prosecuting attorney. He was appointed to the federal bench by President Jimmy Carter in 1979 and served as chief judge from 1985-1990. He assumed senior judge status in 1991.
--The Benkelman Post & News-Chronicle, July 18, 2007

People went to school longer in the Old Days

Question:

In the box of things you loaned me last time I was there, is a memento from the Shady Nook school dated 1906. It has Mae, Georgia, Arthur, Pearl, Ruth and Leah Bartlett all as pupils. Wouldn’t Grandma have been 20 years old that year??? Did those country school go clear through high school? I am just curious about why Grandma 20 years old and Georgia 17 years old would have been in school.

Answer:
Yes, Back in those days the older students went to school after farm work was done in the fall. My mamma went to school some years after she was 20. Gramma Bartlett told me 25. In Jewell County. I know that she was taking algebra but some crank in the district complained about the teacher taking time to teach high school subjects so she didn't get to finish. The older students would help with the younger ones so I think that it was unreasonable for a complaint.

It was soon after that that they moved to Cheyenne County. She and Aunt Georgia didn't go to school anymore . And Uncle Art had to farm. Some of the younger ones went to Parks and/or Benkelman high school. And then when Frances was ready for high school, grandma moved to St. Francis with her and Harry. I will ask Margaret if Harry finished 8th grade there--those years. Frances got married before she graduated.
Also Aunt Georgia moved in to town too and the girls went to school there. Margaret remembers the school there. She tells about coming home and telling about a little boy named "Blowey" in her class. (Wyndon Hurlock)

1897-98 Prairie Flower School - Jewell County, Kansas

1902-03 Paradise School - Jewell County, Kansas

1906 Shady Nook School - Jewell County, Kansas

Jewell County, Kansas School

I'm not sure which school this is, but I found it amoung the pictures in "Grandma's Suitcase", so I'm sure it is a school in Jewell County Kansas. I think my grandmother, Bessie Mae (Bartlett) Crabtree is third from the left.

1898-1899 Prairie Flower School - Jewell County, KS

1906-1907 Shady Nook School - Jewell County, Kansas

Moving District 67 South

Fund drives & tours are being planned for Haigler alumni weekend, grants are being written, and initial work is being done on the school --getting it ready for the move in early August. The one room country school house was in a cornfield owned by Steven and Jody Crouse. They have donated the building, Stan and I are paying for the move to Haigler, the Carlock brothers (Stan and Marv) have been doing all the cleanup work inside the school and will lay a new subflooring for the move. We have already received some donations of dollars, materials, and labor. Stay tuned for more news as the project continues to develop.
-- LeNeta Carlock

District 67 South - Dundy County

I was so excited when I saw this picture and insert in the "Haigler Happenings" today!

It says:

"Have you seen the big sign with red bows on Porter Avenue? It says "Future Home of Country School District 67 South." Plans are under way to save the one-room country schoolhouse, move the school from the country to town and do a complete restoration. Stay tuned for more information as the project develops. One-room schoolhouses were important in the development of our country and local citizens are happy that South 67 is to be moved from its lonely corner in Steve's cornfield to a place of prominence in the village. Stan and LaNeta Carlock are spearheading the project." -- The Benkelman Post & News-Chronicle - April 25, 2007

The saving of this building is something I wish we would see more of. Every time one of the old buildings are demolished, I feel sad that they are gone. The fact that Steve, Stan & LaNeta are willing to go to the expense and effort to move this building is an awsome thing! Many of the old country schools have been moved to other property or destroyed because the land needs to be folded into the field where it sits. And this is as it should be. There is no reason to leave the buildings there to decay because they will never be used again as a school.

I'm not sure what the plans are for this building, but a restored country school will be a great place to set up a museum and/or gift shop to store "memories" for us old folks who like to remember what it was like in "the old days." (I know I'm not the only one who feels this way)

-- Editor

I was so excited when I saw this picture and insert in the "Haigler Happenings" today!

It says:

"Have you seen the big sign with red bows on Porter Avenue? It says "Future Home of Country School District 67 South." Plans are under way to save the one-room country schoolhouse, move the school from the country to town and do a complete restoration. Stay tuned for more information as the project develops. One-room schoolhouses were important in the development of our country and local citizens are happy that South 67 is to be moved from its lonely corner in Steve's cornfield to a place of prominence in the village. Stan and LaNeta Carlock are spearheading the project." -- The Benkelman Post & News-Chronicle - April 25, 2007

The saving of this building is something I wish we would see more of. Every time one of the old buildings are demolished, I feel sad that they are gone. The fact that Steve, Stan & LaNeta are willing to go to the expense and effort to move this building is an awsome thing! Many of the old country schools have been moved to other property or destroyed because the land needs to be folded into the field where it sits. And this is as it should be. There is no reason to leave the buildings there to decay because they will never be used again as a school.

I'm not sure what the plans are for this building, but a restored country school will be a great place to set up a museum and/or gift shop to store "memories" for us old folks who like to remember what it was like in "the old days." (I know I'm not the only one who feels this way)

-- Editor

Teacher Applicant

After being interviewed by the school administration, the eager teaching prospect said:

"Let me see if I've got this right.

You want me to go into that room with all those kids,

And

Fill their every waking moment with a love for learning,

And

I'm supposed to instill a sense of pride in their ethnicity, modify their disruptive behavior, observe them for signs of abuse and even censor their T-shirt messages and dress habits.

You want me to wage a war on drugs and sexually transmitted diseases, check their backpacks for weapons of mass destruction, and raise their self esteem.

You want me to teach them patriotism, good citizenship, sportsmanship, fair play, how to register to vote, how to balance a checkbook,

And

How to apply for a job.

I am to check their heads for lice, maintain a safe environment, recognize signs of anti-social behavior, make sure all students pass the state exams, even those who don't come to school regularly or complete any of their assignments.

Plus,

I am to make sure that all of the students with handicaps get an equal education regardless of the extent of their mental or physical handicap.

I am to communicate regularly with the parents by letter, telephone, newsletter and report card.

All of this I am to do with just a piece of chalk, a computer, a few books, a bulletin board, a big smile.

AND

On a starting salary that qualifies my family for food stamps!

You want me to do all of this

And

Then you tell me...

I CAN'T PRAY?"

1918 Examination for Common Schools

Examination for Common-School Diplomas.

RURAL SCHOOLS.

--------------

Saturday, April 6, 1918.

---

---

These questions are to be used only on the above date. The questions for each day must be opened in the presence of a majority of the examining committee as required by law.

An average of 80 per cent with no grade below 60 per cent is required for graduation. Grades of 80 per cent or more may be carried for two years.

Credit may be given on school work to the amount of 60 per cent in each subject.

The Subjects for Saturday, April 13, will be; a. m., Writing, Classics, United States History; p. m., Spelling, Grammar, Agriculture.

7 2642

W. D. ROSS,

State Superintendent of Public Instruction.

---

This test was given to students who were graduating from the eig hth grade from county schools in Kansas.

To see the actual questions, just follow this link: 1918 Examiniation for Common Schools

Here is a picture of Alice Gregory's Common School Diploma. She took a similar examination in the summer of 1928.

Alice tells:
"Back then we had to take our eighth grade exam on Saturdays in town and I didn't do it the first year. My folks just didn't take me. I wasn't very big. I wasn't HUGE like I am now…hehehe I was only 12. I didn't think anything about it and just went to school again the next year and took the eighth grade again. They didn't want me to go to high school because I was so young and so small."

-- Alice (Crabtree) Gregory
Editor's note: Alice is currently 92 years old and living in Arizona. She is barely 5 ft. tall.

My first school year

On the first day of school in 1919, I was not 5 years old yet, but I remember daddy picking me up in the car. I had gotten my clothes all dirty. And I got scolded.

Vada Sapp was the teacher that year and the other students that I remember were May Smith, LethaBelle Sheeder, Sylvia Freemyer and myself and part of the year was Louise Gunderman.

Louise Gunderman came to stay with us for a while to walk with me to school. She was there also to finish the year at our school. Her family had moved from the Kirshmer place to that Rouselle house. The Kirshsmer name was later on, it was the Crabtree place my first home where Ethel and I were born and the place where Aunt Mary homesteaded. At the first part of the year May Smith walked up the draw with me to and from school. Fido met us at the bend. I would put my hand on his back and walk home that way. Every day Fido would watch the road and meet me at the right time. May must have had to walk at least four miles. In later years I mentioned in this too her, but I don’t know if she remembered it too.

--Alice (Crabtree) Gregory

November 22, 1963 - I was in a one-room School

And, who was in a one-room school the day that President J.F. Kennedy was shot???

I hate to feel this old, but I remember that day so clearly! I was in school at the District 10 country school and Thelma West was our teacher. It was the first year that our school even had a telephone. It was one of those very old ones.

It was a rare thing in that day and age to call off school (even in the middle of a blizzard), the they did that day! It was a very somber day, and for several days afterward. I can still see the black and white TV broadcasting this awful event.

I bet you all remember the exact moment of that event and many of you were also in a one-room school?

-- Submitted by Eunice Richard

Sanborn School

July 2003 Visit to Pleasant Hill School - District 21 - Jaqua

The Schoolhouse has been moved twice. We located the site where the school stood when I attend school there back in the 1920s. There is a historical marker there, but the building sits about a mile or so south of the original site. We walked around and took some pictures.

Jaqua--Hardly anyone remembers that name any more. It used to be a town (before my time even). When we were there, it was a well known name of the community and school. but I don't remember any businesses there any more

One-Room-School in Dundy County

Here is a photo of Wayne Goodell's uncle Ernest who was teaching school at a country school. Wayne says he thinks it was in Dundy County.

They had a Goodell Reunion in Idaho this summer and said Ernest's daughter, who is Wayne's cousin was looking for a copy of this photo.

Lo and behold I came up with it via Ray Heer in California.

-- Calvin Freehling

Prairie Belle School - District 52- 1937

About 1937 - Picture at Prairie Belle School - South east of Haigler in Kansas.
The teacher was Mabel Merklin

Back row left to right Roy Zuege, Edward Wall, Floy Crabtree, Marjorie Todd, Clara Zuege.
Front Row: Osa Todd, Rodney White, Glen Dale Zuege, Doralene White, Deloris Zuege.

Roy and Glen Dale Zuege are sons of Fred Zuege
Clara and Deloris Zuege are daughters of Paul Zuege

-- Submitted by Floy Ruggles (Crabtree) (Fisher)

Prairie Belle - District 52

Teacher - Mable Merklin

Prairie Belle - District 52 - 1935

Left to Right-
Back Row: Orral Ritchey, Bernita Wall, Wayne Ritchey, Vida Todd, Edward Wall, Floy Crabtree
Front Row: Glen Ritchey, Marjorie Todd, Clara Zuege, Bert Haynes, Doralene White

-- Submitted by Floy Ruggles (Crabtree) (Fisher)

Hillcrest School - District 68 - 1936-1937

Teacher: Alice Crabtree

Hillcrest School - District 68 - 1935 -1936

Teacher: Alice Crabtree

Families gathered on the last day of school in 1936

Prairie Rose Schoolhouse Moved to Haigler

The old schoolhouse from District 34 - Prairie Rose School in Cheyenne County, Kansas. The location was just south of Road BB on the Parks Road north of St. Francis.

Jimmy Smith moved it to Haigler in the 1960s and it was "The Rebel Inn" for many years.

Mills School House

Richard Gregory bought the school house building and moved it onto his farm and used it for a shop. The current owners of the farm are Steve and Tammy Workman.

Prairie Belle School - District 52

Back Row left to right: Marjorie Todd, Floy Crabtree, Edward Wall, Roy Zuege(Fred's), Clara Zuege(Paul's)

Front Row left to right: Deloris(Paul's), Doralene White, Glen Dale Zuege, Rodney White, Victoria Zuege(Paul's-visiting-not in school), Osa Todd.

We each got a picture so it is possible that there are some around. I met Marjorie Todd VanVleet last week in Walmart for the first time since 60 years ago anyway. She recognized me. She lives in Goodland. Edward Wall died quite a few years ago. Dale Zuege is gone, too. I think the rest are all around somewhere. Rodney is in Wray. Doralene White is out west, I think. Deloris married a St. Francis Krein.
-- Floy

District 21 - South Fork School

Teacher: Mrs. Blanche McDowell, She was the grandmother of Brent Richard who is standing next to her.

District 10 - School Picture May 1965

District 10 - 1964 Christmas Program

East 10 - Green Valley - 1957

East 10 /West 10 Combined in 1960 - District 10

Here is a picture of the students who attended the combined school district in 1960.


The building from the East 10 district was moved to a new location and additional space was built on. The Building still stands beside Highway 27 about 5 miles south of Haigler, Nebraska.

East 10 - Green Valley - 1955

1928 - 1929 Pleasant Hill School District 21

Rattlesnake Gulch (Boyd School)

Does anyone remember the Rattlesnake Gulch School? It was located in the north part of Cheyenne County, Kansas.

My great aunts Serepta Crabtree, Mary Crabtree and my grandfather, Frank Crabtree probably all taught school there during the 1890s and early 1900s.

Email me if you know where this school is located.

Here is a picture of my great aunt Mary Crabtree in front of her school. I have the Teacher Contract for my Aunt Serepta Crabtree for District 52 and in a note made by my aunt Lizzie (Crabtree) Pate, she says that Aunt Serepta taught school in 1894 in Kansas at the Boyd School and they called it Rattlesnake Gulch. As you can see, James Boyd signed this Teacher's Contract for 3 months on November 25th, 1893. On the list of Cheyenne County schools, District 52 is listed as Prairie Bell School.


My mother, Alice (Crabtree) Gregory says that the Rattlesnake Gulch school was not the same as Prairie Belle. It was further east and a little north between where Tim Richard now lives and the Moorehouse Ranch where Leo and Jean Ann Richard live. There used to be a road that turned east, just north of Tim Richard's farmstead and went east along the fence row. This is where Alice's cousins, Margaret and Esther Stafford went to school and she visited there sometimes. It is also the school Frank Crabtree was teaching when he met Mae Bartlett, who lived in that district.

The Stafford family lived north of the school and the Harvey family lived east. They attended this school. Alice also says there was a family that lived in a dugout along that road to the school.


Can someone help me sort this out? If anyone knows about Rattlesnake Gulch School, please .
Email me.

Star School Clipping

Does anyone know if this is District 13 - South Star School or District 29 - North Star School?
Email me if you know the answer.

District 25 – Broadview School

District 25 – Broadview School

Teacher: Adda White Miller

School Children Families: White

1926 - 1927 Prairie Rose School

1926-27 – Teacher - Emma Freehling

1. Don Boyd
2. Alice Crabtree
3. Ethel Crabtree
4. Lloyd Crabtree
5. Dorothy Ritchey
6. Marlin Ritchey
7. Tom Ritchey
8. Wayne Ritchey

Memories: Beginning of school there were Don Boyd and we three Crabtrees. Soon four Ritcheys – Dorothy, Marlin, Thomas and Wayne. I suppose they had started school at Prairie Bell. The MacDonalds left for Missouri (Fordland?). Ethel wrote to Edna for many years. The day they left, they drove by the school at recess time and waved and waved. They were in a Model T ford with 5 kids and their clothes. They had a long trip ahead of them – for those days’ cars.

I guess – looking back – Don Boyd was there in school. It must have been that the Barbers (newly weds, I think) Don Boyd with them, had moved in as the MacDonalds moved out.

1925 - 1926 Prairie Rose School

1925-1926 – Teacher - Mabel Merklin – (in the New School House)

1. Dorothy Ritchey
2. Marlin Ritchey
3. Tom Ritchey
4. Wayne Ritchey
5. Edna MacDonald
6. Henry MacDonald
7. Pearl MacDonald
8. Pete Focht – 6^th grade
9. Alice Crabtree – 7^th grade
10. Ethel Crabtree
11. Lloyd Crabtree – 1^st grade

Memories: There were the Ritcheys and Crabtrees and Pete Focht (His family – at Uncle Vester’s)

New Schoolhouse: The Summer or 1925 the schoolhouse was built. Big day! First spade-fulls of dirt! I think Lily Freemyer dug the first one. (or maybe she dug some while we were all there after the formal first spade-full was dug and tossed – by some man. (If that formality was even done) Anyhow, I remember the women were flabbergasted!! It was probably part of the jesting, I don’t know. But to a 10 year old, I saw it as a remonstrance - warning that it was too hard. (I had no idea 40 years later that I would dig most of the ditch for the drain from the basement we built the summer in the 1960s.)

1924 - 1925 Prairie Rose School

1924-1925 – Teacher - Irma Combs (from Bird City)

1. Dorothy Ritchey
2. Marlin Ritchey
3. Tom Ricthey
4. Alice Crabtree – 6^th grade
5. Ethel Crabtree
6. Lloyd Crabtree
7. Elna MacDonald
8. Henry MacDonald

Memories: This was the last year in the OLD schoolhouse. Lloyd started to school, but didn’t go all the time, or maybe it was that he was kind of little and the teacher didn’t push him much. He actually was in the first grade the next year in the new schoolhouse.

The MacDonald’s lived at Mrs. Boyd’s place one mile north of the school. The children in that family were Edna, Henry, Pearl, Ila and Dorothy, but only Edna came to school that year.

1923 - 1924 Prairie Rose School

1923-1924 – Teacher - Della Sims

1. Dorothy Ritchey
2. Marlin Ritchey
3. Lyle Freemyer
4. Raymond Freemyer
5. Mildred Armstrong
6. Marjorie Armstrong
7. Vernon Johnson
8. Alice Crabtree – 5^th grade
9. Ethel Crabtree
10. Sylvia Freemyer – 8^th grade

1922 - 1923 Prairie Rose School

1922-1923 - Teacher: Mettje Gillespie

1. Mildred Armstrong
2. Marjorie Armstrong
3. Rueben Ohrmann
4. Harry Ohrmann
5. Alice Crabtree – 4^th grade
6. Ethel Crabtree
7. Sylvia Freemyer

1921 - 1922 Prairie Rose School

1921-1922 – Teacher Mettje Gillespie

1. May Smith
2. LethaBelle Sheeder
3. Mildred Armstrong
4. Marjorie Armstrong
5. Alice Crabtree
6. Ethel Crabtree
7. Sylvia Freemyer

Memories: About Aletha Belle. She was a “Big Girl” at school and combed her long hair into a popular hairdo – 2 buns over her ears.

Aletha Belle and May took turns getting Ethel and I into our coats ready to go home. They made it into a race to see who could get ready first. We were the “little kids”

Aletha Belle rode to school in a buggy. We walked. It was a really big day when we got a ride to school. Mom would come after us sometimes in the one horse & buggy. I remember my dad coming at least once in a sled made from a carbody pulled by horses.

1920 - 1921 Prairie Rose School

1920-1921 – Teacher - Ethel Smith

Alice Crabtree – 2^nd grade

1919 - 1920 Prairie Rose School

1919-1920 – Teacher Vada Sapp

1. May Smith
2. LethaBelle Sheeder
3. Sylvia Freemyer
4. Alice Crabtree – 1^st grade
5. Max ?

Prairie Rose School 1915 Sunday School

Dist 34 – Prairie Rose School

1915
Picture of Sunday School group after church at Prairie Rose School

1. Max Boyd
2. Willie Boyd
3. Letha Belle Sheeder
4. May Smith
5. Ellen Gibberson
6. Cleo Hoover
7. Maybe is Hoover girl
8. Gertrude Boyd
9. Gertie Crabtree
10. Bernita Crabtree
11..
12. Mrs. Hoover?
13. Floyd Crabtree
14. Guy Smith
15. Vester Crabtree
16. Walter Sheeder
17. .
18. Mrs. Damer Smith
19. Ethel Smith
20. Grandma Boyd
21. Mae Crabtree
22. .
23. Frank Crabtree and Alice (behind hat)

Handwritten note: Prairie Rose Sunday School #22 may have been Mrs. Vester Crabtree, #11 may have been my mother, I can’t find my picture like this. Its. Larger. Guy knew most of these people and could identify them. (no signature)

Locator for Cheyenne County Historical Schools

I found this really cool site that lists the schools in Cheyenne County with its Latitude and Longitude location and links to Arial photo, Regional, Local and Topographical maps. If you are curious where some of the schools are located or just want to find where your gransparents went to school or YOUR own one-room-historical-school used to sit, just click on this LINK.

Hackberry School 1897-1898

Dist 16 - Hackberry School

1897-1898 Teacher: Addie (Crabtree) Booth

Children:

Murren (Edward, Orvle, Etta, Jess)
Crabtree (Della, Hurley, Harley, Charley, Cora, Frank
Carpenter (Celia, Willie, Jessie)
Williams (Ida, Sarah, Willie)
Wills (Ray)
Wagner (Pauline, Matilda, Jacob, Charley)

One Room Schools in the 3 Corners Area

This site is created to collect pictures and names of students and teachers who attended One-Room-Schools in the three corners area where Colorado, Kansas and Nebraska meet.

Most of the pictures I have are in Cheyenne County, Kansas. I decided to create this site because my mother, Alice Crabtree and her relatives taught and attended school in the north west part of that county, as did my brother and sisters. Mamma has shared her collection of pictures with me and even at 92 remembers the names of the people in the pictures.

I hope you enjoy the site and will send pictures and stories of your own to be added.